The present invention relates to the field of and, more particularly, to enabling image stabilization for a panoramic camera with multiple fixed lenses.
Panoramic content (e.g., imaging and/or video) is becoming increasingly utilized within sporting activities and sporting television broadcasts. For example, many football racing events utilize wide angle imagery to immerse the audience within the event. Panoramic content can often provide a wide angle (e.g., 270 degrees) or ultra wide angle (e.g., 360 degrees) view of a sporting arena/event. Many times panoramic content utilizes panoramic cameras to capture images/video during pivotal occurrences. For example, 360 degree cameras can be positioned around a playing field to show actions performed by players.
Panoramic content can often be obtained from multiple cameras which can include multiple images/video which can be stitched/composed together to create a single panoramic content (e.g., stitched panoramas). For example, multiple cameras around a race track can take multiple images of race cars from different angles which can be stitched together to create an ultra wide angle view of the race track. Often times, panoramic cameras can be subject to varying degrees of motion which can affect the images/video captured by the cameras. Optical image stabilization solutions typically cannot be applied to panoramic camera lenses due to space restrictions within the lens. As such, frequently digital image stabilization is utilized.
Digital image stabilization is often performed to improve image quality and reduce or eliminate motion blur during/after image capture. However, the limits of digital stabilization are quickly met in applications where the panoramic camera is subject to high speeds, rapid vibrations, and irregular movement. For example, panoramic cameras attached to cars in automotive racing sporting events can be subject to significant vibrational motion which can drastically reduce video quality. When digital image stabilization fails, the resultant content can be confusing, misleading, and difficult to view.